How to change app icons on Android

Sure, you could use your Android phone and let the app developers decide what icons look good on your home screen. Or, you could download some new icon packs (along with widgets and a launcher), to fully customize how your home screen looks and feels every day. And if you’ve never tried to change app icons on Android, the process couldn’t be any easier than it is today.

Finding the best icons

Changing your icon pack can almost make your phone feel like it’s brand new again, as there are thousands of different packs to choose from. Seriously. Just search “icon pack” in the Play Store, and you’ll find yourself scrolling for days and days. There are so many different options to choose from, ranging from the odd-ball icons to being able to create your own icon pack using an app. Here are some of our favorites:

• Icon Pack Studio – Make your own icon pack
• CandyCons
• Delta
• Whicons – White Icon Pack

How to change app icons on Samsung phones

Unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t allow you to use icon packs downloaded from the Google Play Store. Instead, you’ll need to head into the Galaxy Themes app, at which point you can download and install “themes” from there. Here’s how to change app icons on Samsung phones:

1. Open the Galaxy Store app.
2. In the top right corner, tap the magnifying glass icon.
3. Type icons in the search box.
4. Tap Themes, under the search box.
5. Find a theme that you want to download.
6. Tap the Download button.
7. Tap Apply after the icon pack has been downloaded.

There’s another way to browse the different app icons and themes available from Samsung, and that’s from the Galaxy Themes app.

1. Open the Galaxy Themes app.
2. Tap Icons in the bottom toolbar.
3. Browse and locate an icon pack that you wish to use.
4. Once located, tap Download.
5. Tap Apply once the icon pack finishes its download.

But what if you’ve already downloaded a few different icon packs and want to switch back to a different one? You’ll need to jump back into the Galaxy Themes app in order to do so.

1. Open the Galaxy Themes app.
2. Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left corner.
3. Tap My stuff from the sidebar.
4. In the top toolbar, tap Icons.
5. Select the icon pack you want to use.
6. Tap Apply.

How to change app icons on OnePlus phones

Unlike Samsung devices, OnePlus allows you to change your app icons while using icon packs downloaded from the Google Play Store. Here’s how to change app icons on OnePlus phones, without downloading a custom launcher:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Customization.
3. Tap Icon Pack under System Customization.
4. Scroll to see the different icon packs listed.
5. Select an icon pack to apply.
6. Tap the Save button in the bottom right.

The cool part about using OxygenOS to apply a new icon pack is that you’re provided with a preview of what it will look like. Plus, OxygenOS also makes it possible for you to change the icon for an individual app, regardless of whether you have an icon pack applied or not.

1. Unlock your OnePlus phone.
2. Press and hold on the icon you want to change.
3. Tap Edit in the scrolling toolbar.
4. Tap the icon.
5. Select the icon pack that you wish to change the icon to.
6. Scroll through the list until you find the icon that you want to use.
7. Tap OK.

This is a handy little feature if one of your apps doesn’t automatically change its theme, or if you would prefer to use an alternate icon instead of the default option. And if you find that you prefer the original app icon over what is provided by the icon pack, then you can just Reset a single icon instead of starting from scratch.

How to change app icons on Pixel phones

Unfortunately, Google’s stock Pixel Launcher does not allow you to apply icon packs downloaded from the Google Play Store. Instead, you will have to download and use a custom launcher like Nova Launcher or Smart Launcher 5. However, you can still customize your icons by changing the shapes of the icons, which could help freshen things up a bit.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Wallpaper & style.
3. Tap Style in the bottom toolbar.
4. Tap the Custom button to create a custom style.
5. Select what font, icons, and color, you want for the UI.
6. Choose the shape of the icons that will appear on your Home Screen.
7. Tap Next.
8. Name your Style if you want to.
9. Tap Apply.